Curator on the Move

Yesterday I made a trip up to Washington, DC with Loreen Finklestein, a conservator in private practice who has worked on projects related to John Marshall, Dolley Madison, Thomas Jefferson, and other early American notables to visit with Matthew Hoffstedt, the Associate Curator of the Supreme Court.

We discussed possibilities for collaboration between the Court staff, APVA staff, and private conservators and exhibit designers to ensure the preservation of the John Marshall robes as far into the future as possible. The robes are in critical condition, and a unique exhibition/storage solution is in the works, although it will take time to work out the details and raise funds for this nationally significant project.

In the photo, Loreen and Matt stand in front of a display case at the Supreme Court featuring the chair in which John Marshall sat as Chief Justice. The chair is still used today as each chief justice is sworn in.

We also met with Kathleen Shurtleff, Assistant Director of the Supreme Court Historical Society. The Historically Society has been very supportive of the project and Kathleen brought along a check to help support the conservation! Many thanks to Matt, Kathleen, and Loreen for a great and very productive day.